A Way to Pass Time

5

Ch. 5

"What the hell is going on here?" Kale demanded, still looking a bit pale from Louis's threat and I had finished my cookie. The fire in the fireplace was crackling and popping merrily and I couldn't help but gaze into it, entrapped by the flames.

There had been silence, but now he was looking at me fiercely. Slowly, I turned back to him, unsure where to start. In response to his question, I just shrugged. What did he mean? Did he want to talk about Peter's project? Did he want to catch up after all these years? He was probably going to ask about my silence.

Fear shot through me. My past. Those memories that never stopped haunting me.

"Talk to me, Hannah." He said. My eyes shot to him and his serious gaze locked with mine. In his gray eyes, I could see myself reflected there. I looked just as I felt. Terrified.

Those eyes reminded me of what used to be. Small talk here and there, an occasional joke, a longing type of feeling, and the ghost of a girl that had died three years ago. I wanted to run, but I knew I couldn't. Not from Kale.

I leaned back against the booth and tried not to look as uneasy as I felt. I did the only thing I could do. I stared at him.

I don't know what he was expecting, but he just stared back at me. By the time he blinked, I had already had my response written. *I win*

"What?" He asked, startled by my sign.

*I win* I wrote. *The staring game. You blinked, and I won. Duh.*

He must have wanted a rematch or something because he just stared at me more, but this time, he looked... amused? Was he laughing at me? It didn't matter though, because he became serious again. "Come on, Hannah. I haven't seen you in over three years. How have you been? Why do you write everything on that notebook?"

I didn't want to answer so I didn't. I found an imaginary cookie crumb and flicked it away. The only thing that was keeping me from running was Louis's presence in the corner. He was keeping a silent eye on Kale and it soothed my desire to run away. This whole thing was a stupid idea.

Grays messing with Goldens wasn't something that just happened, and when they did, one party got hurt. The Grays always lose to the Goldens. Always. It never changes. Light always shows where the darkness is.

I wrote the only thing I could. *It's none of your business*

He had insisted on walking me back, since it was dark. He hadn't said anything in the shop and he hasn't said anything on the way towards my place. The street didn't have any working streetlamp except one, and it was pitiful. Flickering on and off, on and off, on and off. Our feet made crunching noises as we walked towards the building and I almost felt embarrassed to live in such a place.

Almost.

Kale hesitated as we went down my street, seeing the changes from the nicer parts of downtown to the run down parts of the city. But I'll give him credit since he didn't shy away from it and kept on walking. I could tell it made him nervous when one of the local hobos waved in my direction. He was the one who I had given my scarf and gloves to. Smiling a little, I waved back.

Kale gave me another weird look and I just shrugged. He could interpret that as he wanted to, but I had no inclinations to enlighten him.

We got to my building and we parted there even though he had wanted to walk me to my door. I mentally rolled my eyes at the thought of his chivalrous bullshit. He just wanted to inflate his ego or make him feel good about himself for escorting poor, pitiful Hannah White. I snorted in disgust as I flopped down on the couch in my room.